Bair Middle School to Remain Open as Broward County Plans School Closures
Broward County’s Bair Middle School, which was at risk of closure, will continue operations, while six other schools face shutdown as part of the district’s strategic response to dwindling student numbers. The decision, made by the Broward School Board on Wednesday night, is part of the “Redefining Broward County Public Schools” initiative.
The schools slated for closure include Sunshine Elementary in Miramar, Panther Run Elementary, and Palm Cove Elementary in Pembroke Pines, Plantation Middle, North Fork Elementary, and Seagull Alternative High in Fort Lauderdale. The district anticipates saving approximately $9.5 million through these closures.
Despite potential savings of an additional $1.9 million from closing Bair, community opposition from city officials, parents, students, and the Broward Teachers Union swayed the board’s decision. The meeting witnessed strong support to keep Bair open, with attendees, including a Bair Middle bear mascot, advocating passionately.
Jeanette Marcel, a parent at Bair Middle, addressed the board, emphasizing the importance of civic engagement and the need to retain the school: “I would like to urge our elected officials to remember that they are in these seats because they have been elected by us, by the people, for the people, and we will continue to exercise our rights and our civic duties to make sure that the right people stay in these seats,” she stated. “We need Bair Middle School to continue.”
The vote on Bair’s future was narrow. A shift in stance by board member Adam Cervera, who initially voted for the closure, led to a 5-4 decision to keep the school operational. Cervera highlighted that without Bair, Sunrise would be left with just one middle school, Westpine, and noted the city’s investments in school athletic facilities.
“With the other six schools, how many cities said they’d pump millions of dollars into it?” Cervera remarked, pointing to the unique situation of Bair Middle compared to other schools.
At present, Bair’s enrollment is at 62% of its capacity. City officials are considering using the school’s unused space for city programs, which supports keeping the school open. Board member Jeff Holness, representing Bair, argued that the school still has viable uses for its open seats, unlike the other schools being closed.
However, board member Allen Zeman, a strong proponent of school closures, expressed his dissatisfaction with the timing of discussions: “The time for dialogue was a year ago. The time for dialogue is not at the last moment of walking in when we have this item on the board that we’ve talked about at multiple workshops, with multiple town hall meetings, to get things done,” he said.
The board also outlined plans for relocating students from the closing schools:
— Students from Sunshine Elementary will transfer to Fairway Elementary in Miramar.
— Panther Run Elementary students will move to Chapel Trail Elementary in Pembroke Pines.
— Palm Cove Elementary students will transition to Pines Lakes Elementary in Pembroke Pines.
— Plantation Middle students will join Plantation High, which is set to become a 6-12 grade school.
— North Fork Elementary students will be distributed among Croissant Park Elementary, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary, Thurgood Marshall Elementary, and Walker Elementary.
— Seagull Alternative High School students will move to Whiddon Rogers Education Center.
The future use of the closed school campuses is still under consideration, with potential plans to convert some into district office spaces.
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